California's Famous Old West Cinnamon Rolls Feature A Luscious Cream Cheese Frosting

The beach town of Pismo Beach off California's Central Coast is where you can find cinnamon rolls that are so delicious, people travel from all over the world just to eat them. Old West Cinnamon Rolls has been family-owned and operated for over 50 years, and its signature treat inspires customers to line up around the block waiting for a taste. Part of what makes the company's namesake specialty so exquisite are the ingredients, which are used in generous amounts. From the soft and gooey spiced rolls to the decadent cream cheese frosting that tops them, everything about the baked confections is rich, luscious, and delicious.

Graham Elliot featured Old West Cinnamon Rolls on an episode of Food Network's "Guilty Pleasures," where he got the inside scoop from chef and co-owner Joe Parkhurst on how the buns are made. In the segment, Parkhurst demonstrates the dough being liberally coated with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, to which he notes that "a little extra never hurts, because it makes a really gooey center" (via YouTube). After the rolls are baked to melty perfection comes the real magic — making the frosting.

Divulging some of the secrets of the delectable topping, Parkhurst revealed that it's made with 30 pounds of cream cheese per batch — plus sugar ... a whopping 50 pounds of it. The recipe also includes real butter as well as liquid margarine and evaporated milk for extra creaminess. Another special touch is the addition of real vanilla (per YouTube).

Betty Parkhurst Clemens, Joe Parkhurst's mother, started Old West Cinnamon Rolls in 1972. At first, she sold her bread mix at local fairs, then began baking bread loaves and dinner rolls on the spot. In 1975, the young daughter of a fellow vendor asked her for "something sweet," to which she responded by whipping up cinnamon rolls (per Old West). The family's retail store opened in Pismo Beach in 1981, and Mrs. Clemens, well into her 90s, continued working there daily up until the start of the pandemic. To this day, the company still vends at fairs and events across the country.

The bakery sold its rolls without frosting for its first 25 years, a testament to how good they are plain. Now, those piled high with heavenly cream cheese frosting are the shop's best seller (per SF Gate). Old West also makes them with pecans, walnuts, almonds, and maple bacon, and other frostings include maple, vanilla, caramel, and Hershey's syrup. Ordering the Mudslide will get you a cinnamon roll with the original cream cheese frosting, both caramel and chocolate syrups, and crushed Oreo cookies.

You can order online and have a batch shipped directly to you. The shop offers ready-to-eat rolls, as well as its pre-made mix, for when you want to bypass making cinnamon rolls from scratch. You can even purchase the brand's scrumptious frosting and use it to take store-bought cinnamon rolls to the next level.